Articles by Amitendu Palit

India counters Trump pullback with FTAs, e-rupee

India has long been working hard at diversification, with recent high-profile gains like the EU-India FTA. With its efforts to widen the use of the e-rupee and increase BRICS interoperability in digital currencies, it may be upping its game. ISAS academic Amitendu Palit shares his views.

Amitendu Palit

As US tariffs bite, China and India need each other more than ever

Diversifying exports to non-US markets is a common priority for both China and India, says ISAS academic Amitendu Palit. Both countries need to look more closely at each other as potential big markets for key exports, such as India for Chinese electric vehicles, and China for Indian pharmaceuticals and energy products.

Amitendu Palit

Is BRICS turning anti-America?

The BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro spelt out in detail the pronounced divide between the US and several emerging market developing countries that make up the BRICS, says ISAS academic Amitendu Palit.

Amitendu Palit

Will Trump’s tariffs backfire and strengthen BRICS?

Threatened by the prospect of BRICS currencies’ potential dominance, Donald Trump has warned BRICS countries that he will impose tariffs on them if they attempt to challenge the supremacy of the US dollar. However, these tariffs may end up backfiring on Trump, says academic Amitendu Palit.

Amitendu Palit

BRICS summit in Kazan: A turning point for the global south

ISAS academic Amitendu Palit notes that with four major Southeast Asian countries as partners, the BRICS is on its way to becoming a representative bloc from the global south with multiple regional identities. Greater economic integration through the launch of BRICS Pay will also help Russia and Iran increase their presence in the global economy.

Amitendu Palit

SCO: Internal power dynamics stifle progress

Even as India moves closer to the US and further away from China, it is strategically engaging Russia. Such complex ties in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation may derail the grouping, says academic Amitendu Palit.

Amitendu Palit

IPEF’s clean energy initiatives amid US-China rivalry

Even as US-led IPEF initiatives give clean economy projects in the region a boost, US-China rivalry could be an issue, says ISAS academic Amitendu Palit.

Amitendu Palit

Why the Indian economy is hitting a sweet spot

India’s economy is receiving a vote of confidence in various global forecasts amid the general election season. However, says ISAS academic Amitendu Palit, robust prospects for the Indian economy will very much depend on how some risks to the forecasts play out.

Amitendu Palit

Expanding the BRICS: New challenges for the embattled world order

Voices discussing the expansion of the BRICS are getting louder, leading up to the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers to be held this week in Cape Town. While China sees possible expansion of the BRICS as a useful development in growing its influence, other members of BRICS like India may view it with mixed feelings. ISAS academic Amitendu Palit explains.

Amitendu Palit

Can the BRICS reinvent itself?

In an age where any global economic agenda is hardly viewed outside the prism of geopolitics, it would take enormous resolve for BRICS to make an impactful comeback on the global stage, says ISAS academic Amitendu Palit.

Amitendu Palit

Hostile ties with China make it impossible for India to return to RCEP

Without India, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) stops short of being a regional construct for the Indo-Pacific, says ISAS academic Amitendu Palit. However, India is unlikely to reconsider its decision in the foreseeable future because of its worsening relations with China. While China has expressed its interest to be part of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), might India's domestic concerns lead it to miss the boat once again, to its own detriment?

Amitendu Palit